Mikhailovsky Ballet's new "Sleeping Beauty" Live Internet

You're most welcome, Bart! And to think that Ardani intends to take this crappola on tour to NYC next year. There's still time to change plans and substitute the 'Nacho SB' with high-quality recent ballets from the Mikhailovsky, such as Messerer's Swan Lake, Laurencia or even the kiddie ballet Cipollino - all excellent productions and sure to be hits in NYC.

You're most welcome, Bart! And to think that Ardani intends to take this crappola on tour to NYC next year. There's still time to change plans and substitute the 'Nacho SB' with high-quality recent ballets from the Mikhailovsky, such as Messerer's Swan Lake, Laurencia or even the kiddie ballet Cipollino - all excellent productions and sure to be hits in NYC.

People might like it. The cuts should make it shorter, and clearly some of us did here. Despite your utter dismissal of it, some of us just must have an affinity for total shit!

In any performance with dancers there are things to love, I suspect, Aurora, so I don't think Natalia meant to offend you and tell you that your taste is awful. It sounded like just her opinion on the performance. I suspect there were some wonderful things about it, but some things that bothered others.

You are correct, Bart. Just an opinion, although an opinion formed through 35+ years of traveling the world and writing about classical ballet. IMO, some aspects were quite enjoyable, i.e., the design palette was lovely and the guy who danced in the Jewels Quartet in Act III was simply magnificent! Compared to many wonderful ballets in the Mik's rep, this is not a tour-worthy production. Neither is the horribly-cut 'Corsaire Lite' that I saw in St Petersburg in 2009. (But even Corsaire Lite is more enjoyable than Beauty Lite, IMO.) The Mik's current productions of Laurencia, Swan Lake & Cipollino would be, I believe, more felicitous offerings on the NYC tour than would be the new Beauty Lite. The Mik has rarely (if ever) toured the USA; I'd hate to see a golden opportunity to shine squandered.

In any performance with dancers there are things to love, I suspect, Aurora, so I don't think Natalia meant to offend you and tell you that your taste is awful. It sounded like just her opinion on the performance. I suspect there were some wonderful things about it, but some things that bothered others.

I'm sure you are right. I'm responding to general tone and the fact that people like you are writing "thank god you saved me from watching this" after reading her review after many other people had said things they liked about it, simply because she is so vehement.

Also calling it "crappola" is meant to elicit a strong reaction in readers. It did in me. I find it offensive.Basta.

Sorry if I offended you, Aurora. I honestly did not mean it personally, as Bart correctly guessed. ('Crappola' is intended as a humorous, almost-playful term for s***! It's been used for years in U.S. English. If ever a word perfectly fit this production it is 'crappola' - crappolissima!!!)

However, I am offended by Team Duato-Kekhman and continue to await their apology for offending my artistic sensitivity and butchering of Petipa & Tchaikovsky. When will my apology come? When will Duato & Kekhman apologize to Petipa & Tchaikovsky? No time soon, I suspect. Hence, I revise my rating of Duato's Beauty Lite to half a banana out of 5 bananas...not even worthy of the one whole banana that I had originally awarded.

That said...

We all have our strong opinions and the nice thing is that BalletAlert exists to let us voice & discuss. How nice that enough of us even CARE to voice opinions on ballets! AND how nice that today's technology means that we no longer have to fly to places like St Petersburg to see these shows 'live.' I think that we can all agree on that.

In any performance with dancers there are things to love, I suspect, Aurora, so I don't think Natalia meant to offend you and tell you that your taste is awful. It sounded like just her opinion on the performance. I suspect there were some wonderful things about it, but some things that bothered others.

I'm sure you are right. I'm responding to general tone and the fact that people like you are writing "thank god you saved me from watching this" after reading her review after many other people had said things they liked about it, simply because she is so vehement.

Also calling it "crappola" is meant to elicit a strong reaction in readers. It did in me. I find it offensive.Basta.

Just to explain why I said what I said: I went to yoga and part of me wanted to watch it online. As much as I love my yoga practice, I was a little sad I couldn't do both. Knowing I am about to pig out during the holidays caused me to opt for exercise over the online ballet. When I read Natalia's review it helped me feel better about not going (whether I would hold the same opinion of it or not), and I thought she used humor in her posting talking about the costumes, etc. It simply helped me feel better about missing it online. That's all I meant. Don't worry.....I am not going to avoid attending or watching things when someone criticizes it. I guess I was just throwing out my relief at hearing a good reason to have missed it, since I already missed it!!

If you think Natalia is opinionated in her reviews, visit some opera sites where people discuss operas. It gets downright nasty and horrible at times!!!! Cat fights galore!!!! LOL OMG! I thought middle school kids' fights were bad. You haven't seen a down and dirty fight until you see two opera queens fight about opera!!! LOL I suspect if this Ballet Talk forum were not well monitored (which it is, thank God) you might see the same thing! I'm talking shocking fights online!!! LOL